Pine nuts contain about 31 grams of protein per 100 grams of nuts, the highest of any nut or seed. Pine nuts have been eaten in Europe and Asia since the Paleolithic period. They are also a source of dietary fiber. Pine nuts are an essential component of pesto. Pine nuts are an essential component of pesto and are frequently added to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. They are also used in desserts such as baklava. When first extracted from the pine cone, pine nuts are covered with a hard shell. The nutrition is stored in the large female gametophytic tissue that supports the developing embryo in the centre. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense pine nuts are seeds; being a gymnosperm, they lack a carpel (fruit) outside.

What are pine nuts?
Pine nuts are the of pine trees. They are small elongated ivory-colored seeds from pine cones, measuring about 1/2 inch long. When raw, the seeds have a soft texture and a sweet, buttery flavor. They are often lightly toasted to bring out the flavor and to add a little crunch.
The most commonly harvested seeds come from four particular pine tree varieties: the Mexican pinon (Pinus cembroides), the Colorado pinion (P. edulis), the Italian stone pine (P. pinea), and the Chinese nut pine (P. koraiensis). It takes anywhere from 15 to 25 years for the trees to begin producing the seeds and up to triple that time for them to reach top production. The majority of the North American harvest comes from wild, uncultivated trees. For the most part, the seeds are harvested by hand, a contributing factor to their expensive pricetag.

Also known as pignolia or pinon and often referred to as kernels, pine nuts are the seeds from the cones of certain varieties of pine trees belonging to the family Pinaceae. They are generally about 12mm/1/2-inch long, depending on the variety, with a pale cream colour and a delicate 'pine' taste.

Origin and History
Pine Nuts are often associated with the Mediterranean region, in particular Italy where it has been used as an ingredient for over 2,000 years. Evidence found in the ruins of Pompeii, an Italian town which was destroyed when the volcano, Mount Vesuvius, erupted in 79AD, show that pine nuts were widely used at that time. Some research indicates that the species now grown in Europe, Pinus Pinea originated in the Near East and that it was man who gradually spread it throughout the Mediterranean.
Be that as it may, the high regard for these little nuts in the Mediterranean cuisine is evident when you examine the history. In ancient Roman times they were made into wine, preserved in honey, used in sausages and other recipes and later, huge forests were planted as a direct response to Papal decrees.

However, other varieties of pine nuts have also been grown and eaten in various parts of the world. In the South Western parts of the United states, it is thought that the kernels of the North American Pinon tree were eaten as a staple food some 10,000 years ago and species are also to be found in Korea, China, Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan where it has been a traditional food of nomadic tribes.